Visiting Shrii Rangam and Simhaachalam

[Guest guest]

Dear friends of the Bhakti list,

 

Hare Krishna! I am planning a trip to India during which I will be leaving

the last weekend of March and coming back around May 6th. I have the last 2

weeks of my stay there all to myself, and I am planning on visiting both

Simhaachalam and Shrii Rangam and having darshan of the Deities of

Varaaha-Narasimha and Shrii Ranganaatha Swaami, respectively.

 

I am seeking advice on pilgrimmage to both of these temples. I have never

been to either one before. I speak not a word of Tamil, and my Telugu is

shaky at best. I could use help on planning a trip, how to get there, where

to find accomodations, how much time I should spend there, and what sights I

should make it a point to see which are connected to the the temples. Of

particular interest to me are suggestions for exact dates during which to

visit. There was a Simhaachalam article in the ISKCON magazine Back to

Godhead which stated that Chandana-yaatra was during April-May; if I could

time my visit to see the Lord's nija-ruupa I would feel most fortunate.

Another BTG article on Shrii Rangam mentioned that there were 250 festivals

observed yearly; can anyone suggest a specific date to go during which I can

perhaps be present during one such festival?

 

I am especially interested in customs which are to observed during visiting

of the above temples, and mantras or prayers which should be chanted upon

visiting the Deities.

 

I am also interested in finding shops at both sites through which I can

acquire devotional music casettes and devotional literature, such as

Sanskrit works, commentaries, scriptures, etc. Though these are secondary

goals of my visit, any advice on such places which I should visit would be

welcome.

 

Thank you in advance,

 

-- Krishna Susarla

[Guest guest]

Sri:

 

Dear Sri Krishna Susarla,

 

You are very lucky and really blessed! If you are going in the last week of

March, and are planning to go to Srirangam, please make it a point to be

there on Panguni Utthiram day (March 31st) when there is sEtthi sEvai of

having an excellent most beautiful darshan of Divya Dampathis together - the

Lord Sri Ranganatha and Shri Ranganayaki, adorning the most fragrant Panguni

utthira maNdapam. This is the day on which Sri Ramanujacharya burst out his

Great ``Gadya trayam'- SaraNAgathy Gadyam, Sri Ranga Gadyam and Sri VaikuNTa

Gadyam to Divya Dampathis and got an assuaging re-assurance from Them.

These compositions of YathirAjar are literally the life-breath of Sri

Vaishnavam.

 

Narayana Narayana

 

Narayana dAsan Madhavakkannan

>

> Krishna Susarla [sMTP:krishna]

> Tuesday, March 09, 1999 2:53 PM

> bhakti

> Visiting Shrii Rangam and Simhaachalam

>

> Dear friends of the Bhakti list,

>

> Hare Krishna! I am planning a trip to India during which I will be leaving

> the last weekend of March and coming back around May 6th. I have the last

> 2

> weeks of my stay there all to myself, and I am planning on visiting both

> Simhaachalam and Shrii Rangam and having darshan of the Deities of

> Varaaha-Narasimha and Shrii Ranganaatha Swaami, respectively.

>